Honolulu Star-Bulletin Business /2005/03/02/

[ FAST FACTS HAWAII ]

Recording industry sues local residents

The recording industry has filed lawsuits against several local residents, alleging they illegally downloaded copyrighted music from the Internet.

In four separate complaints filed in U.S. District Court on Monday, Warner Bros. Records Inc., Capitol Records Inc., UMG Recordings Inc., Atlantic Recording Corp., Motown Record Co., Virgin Records America Inc. and Sony BMG Music Entertainment said the residents took copyrighted music from an unspecified online media distribution system and illegally distributed it to others.

The lawsuits, which follow a number of suits filed locally by the music industry last October, seek to bar the residents from downloading the copyrighted material and asks for unspecified damages, legal fees and other costs.

Fargo to head 2 Trex companies

Retired Adm. Thomas Fargo, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, has been named chairman of two subsidiaries of San Diego-based Trex Enterprises and will be based full time out of the company's Oahu office.

Fargo will oversee Loea Corp., a wireless communications firm, and Sago Systems, which creates airport security camera systems. Trex has more than 60 staff in offices on Maui, Kauai and Oahu.

Donna Tanoue joins Longs board

Donna Tanoue, former chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in Washington, D.C., has been elected to the board of Longs Drug Stores Corp., the company said.

Tanoue, who is also vice chairwoman and chief administrative officer of Bank of Hawaii, will stand for re-election at Longs' annual meeting on May 24.

Aloha named No. 1 cargo carrier

Aloha Airlines ranked No. 1 among air cargo carriers in a new survey of shippers by Air Cargo World magazine.

Shippers ranked airlines for customer service, value, performance and information technology in the Air Cargo Excellence Survey. Aloha placed highest among 62 domestic and international airlines. The results are being published in this month's issue of Air Cargo World.

Aloha said it carried about 115 million freight pounds last year.

Pukalani utility seeks rate hike

The wastewater treatment utility that serves the Pukalani Terrace and Country Club Development on Maui is seeking to more than double rates to $36.66 a month from $13.83 a month.

Pukalani STP Co. said it is seeking state approval to raise rates for the first time in its 16-year history to help it break even after losing nearly $700,000 in the past three years.

Companies may rescue Daiei

Shares of Marubeni Corp., Japan's fifth-largest trading company, gained to their highest in almost five years on reports that it will lead a group of companies to rehabilitate Daiei Inc., a failed retailer. Shares of the Tokyo-based company rose as much as 2.6 percent, a third day of advance. The Industrial Revitalization Corporation of Japan selected a Marubeni-led group of companies to rescue Daiei, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported this morning, without saying where it obtained the information.

Polynesian center names new chairman

Mark Willes, a business executive and educator, will take over duties this year as new chairman of the board at the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Willes, who has served on the cultural park's board since 1996, succeeds Ted Jacobsen, the chairman of the previous nine years.

"We are looking forward to the additional progress we will see under the strong leadership of Mark Willes," PCC President Von D. Orgill said.

Willes made national headlines as chief executive officer of the Times Mirror Co., when he began his tenure in 1995 by slashing jobs and closing many of the publishing company's papers.

He also pushed the Los Angeles Times to adopt a widely criticized policy of breaking down the walls that have traditionally shielded journalists from interference by the business side of the paper.

The policies earned the former vice chairman of General Mills monikers such as "Captain Crunch" and "The Cereal Killer," in many media reports.

[Hawaii Inc.]

NEW JOBS

>> Coldwell Banker Pacific Properties has appointed Kalama Kim as vice president, assistant area office leader of its Kahala Office. He will be responsible for strategic planning, financial management, marketing strategies and personnel support and development. He previously served as City Bank's vice president and performance manager.

» Xerox Hawaii has appointed Beau Labez-Tapang and Gregg Omori marketing representatives at its Oahu headquarters. They will be responsible for introducing document processing equipment and services to new and existing commercial accounts. Labez-Tapang previously served as a Franklin Covey sales consultant. Omori previously served as a Banana Republic sales associate.

ON THE BOARD

» The Nature Conservancy of Hawaii has appointed David C. Cole chairman of its board of trustees. He is Maui Land & Pineapple Co.'s president and CEO. Cole succeeds Jeff Watanabe, who has served as chairman of the Hawaii board since 1996.

» The Wahiawa Community and Business Association has installed new officers: Jack Kampfer, president; Dan Nakasone, first vice president; Gordon Kanemaru, second vice president; Elisa Nakamura, secretary; Barbara Awo, treasurer; Jack Smith, past president. Directors: Jennifer Abiva, Walter Benavitz, Gerald Hagino, Dennis Honda, Geoff Horvath, Tracy Janowicz, Jack Julius, Stanley Ono, Martha Peterson, Linda Sato and Libby Smithe.